This gravestone was commissioned for John Foster of Boston, Massachusetts, in 1681. Its design is characteristic of the period. The decorative carving on early gravestones reflected philosophical attitudes toward life and death in seventeenth-century New England. The imagery on the markers derived from the stern religious beliefs of the Puritans. The Puritans discouraged most artistic endeavors as frivolous indulgences that distracted from spiritual pursuits. However, they tolerated gravestone carving because it promoted their beliefs. Gravestones were intended to remind observers of their own mortality and encourage them to reflect on their own spiritual preparedness for death. Bones, coffins, hourglasses, scythes, skeletons, and skulls were common symbols. Elaborate carvings, such as this gravestone, are considered to be the earliest sculptures produced in colonial America.